As the spat between former India cricketers S Sreesanth and Gautam Gambhir continues to simmer, Syed Kirmani, the head of the Code of Conduct & Ethics Committee of Legends League Cricket, said they’ll be conducting an internal probe into the matter.
After a heated altercation between the two former India teammates during the game between India Capitals and Gujarat Giants on Wednesday, Sreesanth posted two videos on social media revealing what Gambhir allegedly said to him before the ex-India batsman responded with a cryptic post on his X handle.
Here is a quick explainer on what Gambhir allegedly said, and what the 2013 case was all about.
What happened on the field?
In the second over of Wednesday’s game, Gambhir hit a six and a four against Sreesanth. Then, the latter bowled a dot ball after which there was a flare-up between the two. The umpires and teammates had to step in to separate the duo, who are both known to wear their hearts on their sleeves.
What did Legends League Cricket say?
“Legends League Cricket strives to uphold the spirit of cricket and sportsmanship and will conduct an internal investigation on the violation of the code of conduct. Any misconduct that has occurred both on and off the field, including on social media platforms, will be dealt with strictly. The code of conduct has clearly stated that necessary action will be taken against players that bring disrepute to the league, the spirit of the game and the teams that they are representing. We make our stand very clear and continue to work towards sharing the game with millions of cricketing lovers across the nation and world,” Kirmani was quoted as saying by the Legends League Cricket X handle.
What did Gambhir say after the controversy?
After the controversy, while Sreesanth posted two videos revealing what was said to him that prompted him to lose his temper, Gambhir just tweeted a cryptic message. “Smile when the world is all about attention!” he wrote.
What did Sreesanth say in his Instagram videos?
Sreesanth posted two videos, one right after the game and another one on Thursday. “’Fixer, fixer, you’re a fixer… you f**k off, fixer.’ He (Gambhir) kept saying that,” claimed Sreesanth in an Instagram Live video on his handle on Thursday. “He kept on calling me that, on live television on the centre of the wicket. This is the language he used on live TV. He also told the same thing in front of umpires as they tried to control him.”
Later, in a statement of the social media network, the pacer vented his spleen again. “You are an arrogant and utterly classless individual who lacks any form of respect for those who supported you…. Anyone who has experienced what I have endured would never forgive you. Deep down, you know that what you said and did was wrong.”
Why was Gambhir allegedly calling Sreesanth a fixer?
If Sreesanth’s allegations are true, then by calling him a “fixer”, Gambhir was making a reference to the infamous 2013 spot-fixing casewhich rocked the Indian Premier League.
In 2013, Delhi Police had arrested three cricketers – Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan – on charges of spot-fixing. Sreesanth was apprehended at his friend’s house. All three were playing for Rajasthan Royals at the time. Soon, the BCCI banned Sreesanth from playing any form of cricket.
The case got bigger when actor Vindoo Dara Singh was arrested.
Delhi Police alleged that the three players were giving signals to bookies via pre-decided gestures on the field. The police gave the example of a May 9 match between Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals in Mohali, in which Sreesanth was bowling an over with a towel tucked into his trousers.
The police said this was a signal to bookies that he would now fix an over. (They noted that he had bowled the previous over without the towel.) Sreesanth gave away 13 runs in that over.
How is Sreesanth playing cricket if he was accused of spot-fixing?
In July 2015, the Patiala House court dropped all charges against Sreesanth, Chandila and Chavan in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing case, saying no prima facie case under MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) was made out against them.
Then, in March 2019, the Supreme Court lifted the lifetime ban on him.
